Workout Wisdom Peloton Edition - part 1
I’ve been deep in the world of Peloton for six months now, and, as with so many of my previous exercise pursuits, I’ve pulled some bigger life lessons from my sweaty miles in the saddle. Peloton is more than just well-crafted cycling classes on an expensive bike. There’s a whole world of community and gamification. Some of it works for me, some of it doesn’t. As someone who spends her time off the bike helping leaders of growing companies cultivate healthy and fun cultures while delivering great products and services at a profit, this on-the-bike learning translates into off-the-bike awareness. I’ll share five of my observations over the next weeks:
1. Not everyone loves high fives or shoutouts. In a past life I worked in an office where morning and evening fist-bumps were the expected greeting. Despite loving my coworkers, I did not enjoy that ritual at all, so it came as no surprise when I realized that I am a pelo-grinch. I ignore the high fives that pop up on my screen while I’m riding and I do not chase milestone shoutouts in live classes. This ties back to the book I recommend more than any other, Gretchen Rubin’s Better than Before, which really helped me understand how to motivate myself and others. I am a questioner. I follow plans when I understand why they work for me, not because someone tells me to, or someone expects me to. I ride the bike and lift and stretch because I know I feel better when I do, and because I’m one of the lucky minority that actually thinks exercise is fun. I do not do it because there’s a group doing it with me, and I do not get a burst of energy when someone I don’t know cheers me on. I like to shut out the world and focus on what I’m doing and do the best I can. For a while I felt guilty when I didn’t return a high five, or congratulate Suzi from Denver on her 10-day streak. I know these interactions are meaningful to some folks so I felt bad. Then I remembered that my commitment in this situation was to myself. Alone. And I let the guilt go.
Remember this as you’re working with your teams and reports. Some may really benefit from accountability partners or groups. Many people are what Rubin calls obligers, and are driven to fulfill external expectations. Others are not and may find the group setting burdensome rather than helpful. Similarly being praised in public means a lot to many people. Words of acknowledgement and appreciation can be extremely significant and motivating to some folks. But others may find the warmth of the spotlight uncomfortable and prefer to be recognized in a less public forum. Knowing what works for those you hope to motivate and encourage can make a huge difference in their success and your effectiveness as a leader. Being aware of the social expectations your rituals create, and offering alternative modes of belong can create a more inclusive culture.
Coming later this week, my #2 lesson: Plans are written in pencil during a pandemic. See you then.